Quick-adjustable vise



Nov. 7, 1944. R. '0 HEINRICH QUICK ADJUSTABLE VISE Filed July 5, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 1 ROBERT O.HEINRICH BY ATTORNEYS Nov. 7, 1944. R. o.HEINRICH 2,362,067

QUICK ADJUSTABLE VISE Filed JuIy 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 50ROBERT O.HE|NRICH ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 7, 1944 UNITED PATENT. OFFICEn I I 2,352,067

QUICK-ADJUSTABLE VISE Robert 'OyHGinIiOh, Racine, .Wis. 1:

Application July 3,1943, Serial No. 493,351

3 Claims:

the J ws witheut int r e ence .f omthe s d ki a a'e mnin me ns.

Another salient 'object ofj my invention is: thev provision of a vise orclamp in which'thesliding bars or beams carrying the movable jaw are 'arrangedin a spaced parallel vertical plane instead of -;a spacedhorizontal plane so that relatively wide'elongatedwork can besecurelyheld between the jawson each side of the slidingbars-or beams.Nei he i portan a ec o invention is e P QYi iQ V a sing e "Operating memell-r medy tuatin the l ck m -j e. ate .f b 1 n t e m 9 s. wh e the useof a cam, crank or the likeior' each setoi looking or clamping plates iseliminated.

A sti fl r vf ie t of my i ven ion s were.

vide'a simple, but hig hly efiicient means for actuna tw s s 9 s mpne..,9 l k ng p at for the vice bars or beams fro'm a singleoperating...

j i l urther e i etp my j t t e provision of a set of clampingorlockingplates for; each bar or beam of the vise-with the'adja:

contends of the two sets of plates arranged e lapp n ..i latiqn. w eeby, n le m. crankf or other mechanism can be'utilized forysynchronously actuating both sets of plates from asingle central point.I

A still furtherimportant, object of my inveneii t e provision o means fr a ra n ti rl evcr l a n ate where l a e or plates can be efiioientlyactuated by any del .t e er tinsa eans. uch a a a nk W d e. s rew e t ei e I With these and other objects in view, theing vention consists inthe novel construction, a1:

nsement.a s t rma i n part w y e hereinafter more specificallydescribed,claimed d il u a d in t e mpanv ns ,d "a ne in which drawings:

Figure, 1 is a side,,elevational viewhpartly in section showingoneQpreferred iorm ofn y improved. vise, thesectional part ofthe figurebeing V taken on. the line, I I1 of Figure 3 looking in than ectionofthe arrows! Fig re 2. isa viewsimilarto Figurel butshow;

inglth'e .loeking or clamping ,platesin their Qpra-.

tive position for holding the movable jaw against the work and againstmovement Figure 3 is a transverse, sectional view through the vise taken-on the. line .3.-3 of Figure l,

5,.l00king in the direction of' the arrows.

Figure 4 1 is a fragmentary, detail,- sectional view illustrating a.camlever for moving a looking plate into its locked position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but show- 1Q ing a set screw fortilting the lockingplate.

Figure 6 is a view similar. to-Figures4 and 5 but showinga slidingwedge, for, tilting. thelocking plate.

Figure '7 is a detail, side, elevational view of a double locking platefor a pair. of beams or, bars of the vise.

Referring to the drawings in detaihwherein similar reference jcharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the severallviews,the letter V generallyindicates myimproved-vise or clamp and thesameincludes a' casting or frame I0. I j v This casting orframe I0 embodiesa base II which can be secured to a work bench,.machine or the like andif preferredfthe base-can-be of a swivelled type so that the vise can beswung around in an arc of a circle. The casting IOalso includes a hollowhousing lZ whichis'formed directly on the base and the upperend of theaohhousing has formed thereon the rigid jaw l3.

Slidably' mounted through'th housing I2 for.

longitudinal movementisa pair of bars or beams I4 and I 5. These bars orbeams I4 and I5 are arranged in spaced parallel relation and'one 5,-above the other in a vertical plane. The forward ends of the bars orbeams l4 and I5 ha'verigidly fastened thereto the movable jaw I B'andhence the movable jaw and the bars or beams I4 and I5 slide back andforth as a'unit.' A handgrip 40, I1 can'be provided for the moavble'jawso as'to facilitate the'sliding' of said jaw. The rigid jaw I3 and themovablejaw Hi can be provided with anvpreferred type-"of jaw. faces I8and I9 and the iawrfaces'preferably extend beyon'd'the body of the vise.Hencecthe jawsextend laterallybe'yond the bars or beams-I4 a'nclIS andas thebars or beams I4 and I5 are: arranged at the centerof the vise,work can: be readily gripped by the jaws on opposite sides of thebarsorbeams.

I This is of a decided advantage whereielongated Work is beingheld in.:a 7 vertical plane.

Disposed within;the-hollow l'lousingv I2 of the r casting or frame .IDof the viseris .my improved;v locking mechanism 20 for the bars or visebeams" and-15,= r

The bars or beams M and I5 are locked,'advanced or retracted by themechanism 2|! and this mechanism 2|] includes a pair of spaced clampingplates 2| and 22 for the bar or beam i4 and a like pair of clampingplates 23 and 24 for the bar or beam I5, and all of these plates areprovided with openings 25 through which the bars or beams extend.- Theopenings 25 are of a slightly greater diameter than the diameter of thebars or beams.

The front plates 2| and 23' of the clamping -mechanism 20 are providedwith overlapping interengaging ears 26 an the upper front clamping plate2| is provided with a reduced finger 21 on its upper end. The lowerplate 23 is provided with a similar depending finger 28. These fingers21 and 28 are engaged by adjustableset screws 29 and 30 respectively.

A spring pressed plunger 3| is carried by the frame or casting l0 andengages the overlappin ears 26 of the plates 2| and 23 and hencethisplunger normally tends to cant or tilt the plates 2| and 23 on theirbars or beams M and 15.

The rear clamping plates 22 and 24 have overlapping ears 32 and theseears are similarto the ears 28 on the front plates 2| and 23. Expansionsprings 33 are coiled about the beams or bars l4 and I5 and are disposedrespectively between the plates 2| and 22 and the plates 23 and 24.Similar relatively heavy expansion springs 34 are also coiled about thebeams l4 and I5 and these springs engage the outer faces of the rearplates 22 and 24 and the inner face of the housing 52 of the vise.

Extending transversely through the hollow housing I2 is a rotatablecrank shaft 35and the crank or throw portion 36 of this shaft isarranged between the pairs of plates 2| and 22 and 23 and '24 directlyin rear of the spring pressed plunger 3| and atthe points ofinterengagement of the plates by their ears 26 and32.

Suitable bearings can be provided in the frame housing I2 for theshaft35 and one end of the shaft carries any preferred type of manipulat-.

at right-angles to the longitudinal axis of the bars or beams I4 and I5.Hence the movable jaw I6 and the bars I4 and I5 can be conveniently slidback and forth.

Considering that work is to be done, the movable jaw I6 can he slidtoward the rigid jaw to an initial position for loosely receiving thework, which is indicated by the reference character W.

When the movabl jaw l5 has been slid to its initial adjusted positionand the work W is placed between the rigid and' movable jaws, the lever31 is swung down'by the operator. With the initial turning of the shaft35, the throw portion 36 thereof will be moved away from the ears 23 ofthe front plates 2| and 23 and the spring pressed plunger 3| willfunction to push in on the inner ends of the plates 2| and 23 to tiltthe same on the beams l4 and I5. As the throw portion 36 moves away fromthe ears 2 B of the front plates 2| and 23, the same is moved intoengagement with the ears 32 of the rear plates 22 and 24 and hence theseplates will be tilted against the tension of the springs 34. Theopposite diagonal corners of the walls of the openings 25 will grip thebeams when the plates are tilted and upon continued dowward movement ofthe handle 31, the throw portion 33 of the shaft will be further movedinto engagement with the cars 32 of the plates 22 and 24 and this willshove the beams l4 and I5 rearwardly and move the movable jaw l6 intotight gripping contact withthe work and the beams will be locked againstmovement.

When it is desired to release the work, it is merely necessary to swingthe handle 31 upwardly and the throw portion 36 of the shaft .35 will bebrought away from the plates 22 and 24 and toward the plates 2| and 23and the plates will return to their initial position. This not onlyreleases the clamping of the beams or bars I4 and I5 by the plates, butthe movement of the plates back to their normal position will pushforwardly on the beams or bars so as to slightly move the jaw I3 awayfrom the jaw l3.

Great stress is laid on the novel arrangement of the overlapping of theinner ends of the sets of locking plates, whereby only a single throw oroperating member is needed to actuate the plates to their lockingposition.

Obviously, I can employ only one plate for each bar or beam and whereonly one plate is employed, a bar or beam will ,still be efiicientlylocked.

'Varioustypes of operating means can be employed for operating theclamping plates and in Figure 4 I have shown a clamping plate and thisclamping plate receives the sliding bar or vise beam 4|. One end of theplate is provided with a finger 42 and this finger can be engaged by thecam portion 43 of a swinging cam lever 44. The camlever can be mountedupon a stub shaft or pivot pin 45 carried by the frame or housing of thevise.

In lieu of using a cam lever for engaging th finger 42, I can provide aset screw 46 (see Figure 5) for engaging the finger 42.

In Figure 6 I have shown a sliding wedge bar 41 for engaging the finger42.

Obviously, other means for actuating the clamping plate 40 will readilysuggest themselves to persons skilled in this art.

In Figure 7 I have shown a modified form of clamping plate 50. Thisclamping plate 50 includes a pair of openings 5| for receiving a pair ofvise beams or bars and this clamping plate is provided with laterallyextending finger 52 disposed between the openings 5|. Any suitablemeans, such as I have shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, can be employed forengaging the finger 52 for tilting the clamping plate on the vise barsor beams.

Various changes in details may be made without departing from the spiritor the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. A vise or clamp comprising a frame, a fixed jaw on the frame, a pairof freely slidable vise beams engaging the frame, a movable jaw rigidlysecured to the beams, a tiltable clamp plate for each beam, the innerends of the clamp plates being arranged in overlapping relation, springmeans engaging the plates on one side for normally urging the plates toa substantially right angular position relative to the beam, and amandirection of the movement of the beams and movable jaw to a workclamping position.

2. A vise or clamp comprising a frame, a rigid law on'the frame, a pairof beams freely slidable i said frame, a movable jaw rigidly secured tosaid beams, a pair of clamp plates tiltably mounted on each beam, theinner ends of said pairs of clamp plates bein arranged in overlappingrelation, an expansion coil spring mounted on each beam between theplates of each pair of plates, an expansion coil spring on each beamdisposed between one plate of each pair of plates and an adjacent partof the vise frame, a spring pressed plunger engaging the overlappingportions at the outer faces thereof of the other plates of each set ofplates, and an operating member disposed between the overlappingportions of the pairs of plates.

3. A vise or clamp comprising a frame, a rigid jaw on the frame, a pairof beams freely slidable ed on each beam, the inner ends of said pairsof clamp plates being arranged in overlapping relation, an expansioncoil spring mounted on each beam between the plates of each pair ofplates, an expansion coil spring on each beam disposed between one plateof each pair of plates and an adjacent part of the vise frame, a springpressed plunger engaging the overlapping portions of the outer facesthereof of the other plates of each set of plates, and an operatingmember disposed between the overlapping portions of the pairs of plates,said operating member including a rotatable cam shaft and an operatinghandle.

ROBERT O. HEINRICH.

